Centrifugal pump.



N. B/WALDRON.

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP.

APPLICATION FIILED MAR.23.1915.

1,189,889. PatentedJ111y14;-1916.

2 SHEETS SHEET' 2.

Arra'mve NELSON B. WALDRON, OF LEWISTON, MAINE.

CENTRIEUGAL PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 4, 19.16.

Application filed March 23, 1915. Serial No. 16,445.

my present invention is that in which the fluid is raised against'an'inclined surface by a component of its centrifugal force: a-

rious attempts have been madeto effect a practical elevation of fluid by such a'opara tus, but such means as are known h e been either. inoperative or so feeble in,ction as to' be vpractically inoperative. By my present invention I have provided means for elevating fluid rapidly and in large volume by an expenditure of power very much less than has been required in the operation of any other known form of pump.

The construction and operation of my device will be more fully described, in the specification which follows, but it may be noted at the outset that certain elements contribute in an important measure to the success of my invention and these should be borne inrmind in considering the operation thereof. In the first place, the effective lifting tendency of the applied power is a certain part of the force in which the elements are the outer or radial throw of'the water in its rotation. represented by the centrifugal action of the fluid against the outer wall of the lifting element. The pump of course is acting againstgravity with the slight limiting effect of the flare of the wall of the elevating element. I have discovered that the matter of vertical lift is very largely affected by the continuity and uniformity of upward flow and that thereforet he conti nuity or uniformity offl'are or inclination of the surface which receives the radial'thrust of the centrifugal action of the fluid is an importantfeature. In any pumpthe effeetive delivery is of courselimited to the effective intake and in the type of pump here in involved, I havediscovered that the effective intake is dependent upon the rate of iotative acceleration imparted to: the included fluid at water level and particularly the rate of rotative acceleration to the peripheral current of this stratum of the included fluid. I have discovered that the vertical support of the base of the body of this fluid. stratum during its acceleration has an important bearing upon the distance of elevation, upon the speed or rate of lift and upon the woliime or quantity of delivery. This is specifically illustrated in the specification which follows by the introduction of an element which I will more fully describe, which in the form shown consists of an inwardly projecting flange which tends to support and isolate the annular base of the fluid delivery. Another element which enters into the effective workings of a device of this class is the relation of the inclined wall or radial resisting areas considered in successive zones. It will be seenthat in any upward flaring vesselthe area of successii'e horizontal zones rapidly increases I these successive zones being greater, the sur- .face speed is therefore higher, so that we have not only a tendency toward diminution of thickness ofthe projected layer of water,-but also an acceleration of speed as well as an increased upward component or lifting tendency working against the force of gravity as the water rises. understood that this is true whether a. rotative tendency be imparted to the water from the rotation of the flaring resisting wall or whether it be imparted by other means. Although as above stated uniformity and continuity of flow are such important factors that the introduction of any element producing peripheral friction. or other retarding tendency or in breaking the even continuous flow is to be avoided. These as well as tlie'manner of disposition of the delivered fluid at the top of the elevating element and It is readily.

other features will be more fully disclosed use and which Serve to illustrate the prin ciples involved. v

Throughout specification and drawings like reference numerals are correspondingly applied, and in these drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevatiomof a pump, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, Fig. 3 is a central vertical section,,Fig. at is a section on the line of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is an enlarged central vertical section of a modification, Fig. 7 is a plan view of the elevating member shown in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a modification of the lower end of the elevating member, and Fig. 9 is a plan view ofilthe form shown in Fig. 8.

My device comprises an elevating member l which may be constructed in any manner desired. It is preferably a slightly flaring shell of the height of lift required in the water elevation. This may bemade in nesting sections or otherwise as may be convcnient or desirable. The member 1 is preferably provided with an absolutely uniform continuous flare or as nearly so as such a device maybe structurally produced for practical purposes. The continulty of the flare is a matter which I will discuss more fully hereinafter, it being sufficient for the present to point out that the flow of fluid through an elevating device of this sort should be maintained as continuously and uniformly as possible so as to secure an undisturbed component of effective lift. The amount of the flare of the elevating member 1 may be varied but a considerable amount of flare is unnecessary. In fact for such sizes as I have tested a flare of one half an inch to the foot is sufficient:

The elevating member -1 is preferably mounted on a shaft 2 carried in suitable bearings 3 at the base and top bearingset, which may be supported in any desired way in the position in which the pump is to be operated. The shaft 2 is connected by any suitable spider arm as 5 to the shell of the elevating member 1 so that it may rotate with the shaft. The shaft and elevating member may be driven by any suitable connection as by the pulley 7 driven by a belt 9 from a driving pulley 10. The driving connection should provide for acomparatively -rapid revolution of the elevating member 1, but it has been found that the power required to drive the pump is very slight so that even avery light belting may be used to drive a comparatively large pump.

\Vithin the elevating member 1, I preferably provide longitudinal ribs 11 which taper from the base or smaller portion of the frustum toward the top.

At the lower end of the elevating member 1, I provide an inturned flange 12 which extends radially slightly inward at the intake end of the elevating member 1. This flange 12 is preferably attached to and carried by the member 1. In addition to this I also preferably provide a propelling blade 13 which may be set at a slight angle so as to give an immediate initial impulse or retation to the water on entering the end of the elevating device 1. The function of the inturned flange 12 is to support and isolate adjacent to the Walls of the elevating device 1 a body of water until it shall have acquired a sufficient rotative momentum to acquire, against the inclined wall of the elevating member, a componentsufficient to overcome gravity and to cause the water to rise in the elevating member. The impellers 13 located at the bottom of the shaft 2 at the intake of the elevating device tend to give an immediate rotative tendency to the governed by the rate of intake and the more rapidly the inflowin'g water acquires its momentum the more rapidly it will begin to ascend within the elevating shell 1.

The upper endof the elevating member 1 is preferably slightly outturned as at 1 and iniclosingtle upper end is an annular trough or spillway 15 having an overhanging flange 16 against which the upward lift direct delivery'of water strikes falling back within the spillway 15. I also provide on the inner side of the spillway 15 an outwardly extending flange 17 \preventing the inward surge of the Water and any possible backward escapement into the elevator 1. From the spillway 15 extends a tangential chute 16" which may deliver into any suitable runway as indicated at 17. The tangential delivery 16 provides for an immediate and effective discharge from the annular spillway 15, and assists in keeping the regular flow in constant and uniform motion, thus avoiding any back pressure or counter current which would tend to retard the acceleration of the water in delivery.

I'have described and claimed my invention as a pump and it perhaps finds its greatest usefulness as such, yet I do not intend to be understood as employing the term pump in any limiting sense but to mean thereby a device for lifting any material capable of being gi en rotative acceleration.

I find that this pump is capable of lifting not only muddy water but water heavily charged with sediment and even gravel and its action constitutes a dredging action capable of lifting soft or light soil especially where sufficient water is present to afford a fluid carrier. On account of this capae-l ity of the pump to lift sediment it is sometimes advisable to provide for the trapping of such sediment to prevent it from settling on the bearings when the pump is stopped and the intake eddy dies down. This isimportant in cold weather when the bearing might freeze in a clogged state. I

have shown in Figs-8 and 9 a modification in which this feature is illustrated. In Fig. 8 it will be seen that .an annular pocket is formed of the flange 12 by mounting a "collar12 which preferably extends below as well as above it. This forms between its upward extension and the wall 1 and 'the flange 12 an annular recess or trap into which sand, gravel or sediment of any sort will fall and from which it may be readily removed. In this form I have shown in place of fins, full transverse partitions 11 each having a small scoop lip 11 which travels just above the top of the annular 1 nocset tending to impart to the fluid therein av carrying velocity sufiicient to lift any 11a? fed deposit." v

rious other modifications in the form and construction of my device may obviously be resorted to within'the limits of the appended claims.

WVhat I therefore claim and desire to se- Icure by Letters Patent is:

L-In a pump of the class described an elevating element comprising a vertically disposed upwardly -flaring member,- an inwardly projecting flange on the lower portion, and means for rotating: said element:

2. In a pumpofthe class described, an elevating element comprising a vertically ber.

disposed upwardly flaring rota-table memher, an inwardly projecting horizontal fiange on its lower portion,'and means for rotating said element.

3. In a pump of the class described, an elevating element comprising a vertically disposed upwardly flaring rotatable member an inwardly projecting flange on its lower portion, means'for rotating said elee ment, an annular delivery chamber about the upper end having an inner wall terminating adjacent to the upper edge ofsaid fiarlng member and an outwardly project 1ng flange on said nner wallpf said cham- NELSON B. 'wALDRoN.

Witnesses: I I

VICTORIA Lownnn,

' AGNES V. OCONNELL. 

